Viterra adding to Man. and Alta. facilities

Nov 27, 2018

Each terminal will receive an additional 30,000 MT of storage

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

A grain handling company has plans to expand two terminals in Western Canada.

On Nov. 22, Viterra announced its intentions to increase the storage and handling capacity at its terminals in Binscarth, Man., and Stettler, Alta.

The Alberta location currently holds 9,620 metric tonnes (MT) of grain, while the Manitoba terminal can store about 8,200 MT.

Storage at each facility will increase by 30,000 MT. And upgrades to railcar capacity will allow each terminal to load about 134 railcars once the construction is complete.

The Stettler terminal is on Alberta Prairie Railway’s line, which is a partner of Canadian Pacific Railway. Viterra’s Binscarth facility is situated on a CP line.

The company’s investments show confidence in the Canadian ag industry, said Kyle Jeworski, Viterra’s North American president and CEO.

“By expanding our rail and storage capacities in targeted areas, we are creating further value for our farm customers at the local level, as well as our suppliers and end use customers,” he said in a Nov. 22 statement.

Some producers have mixed feelings about the terminal upgrades.

While the added storage capacity is appreciated, it could impact the prices farmers earn, said Dean Harder, a grain producer from Lowe Farm, Man.

“It’s good to have the increased storage capabilities but it might be the elevators who benefit the most,” he told Farms.com. “It gives the grain companies the ability to stretch on their prices because they can store stuff longer. It doesn’t put the pressure on demand for our grain.”

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